[A-List] UK sub-imperialism: follow the oil

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Ledingham pots $1m from Azerbaijan

By Bill Magee
The Sunday Herald: 10 November 2002

Pathfinding Scots legal outfit Ledingham Chalmers's ann ual fees from
Azerbaijan have topped $1 million for the first time.

The firm has an office in the capital, Baku, from which it has focused on
supporting the oil majors along with Aberdeen oil development company Ramco.
It is now picking up lucrative repeat business from the World Bank and
American banks.

Senior partner David Laing said a gamble in the mid-1990s to establish a
presence in Azerbaijan has paid off, his firm having started advising Steve
Remp's Ramco in 1988.

'Steve was keen to export his firm's expertise to the former Soviet Union,
and I asked myself if we should regard our involvement as a one-off
experience or do something more out there on our own account.'

The Azerbaijani parliament ratified Ramco's contract in late 1994. By that
time Laing had decided to take a chance and establish a local office.

Ledingham Chalmers is now competing with the likes of Baker & Mackenzie,
Salans Hertzfeld and Baker Botts for business. It still represents Ramco and
gave legal advice in the recent sale of its interest in the Chirag Guneshli
oilfield.

Laing added: 'The Baku experience has proved a real success, boosting our
UK-wide and international oil and gas practice, not to mention fees.'

Word has got around about the firm's expertise, and Ledingham Chalmers now
also advises the Bahraini government, on major production-sharing contracts
involving foreign investors, and the state-owned Turkish Petroleum, in its
international interests.

The firm also has a presence in Istanbul and in the Falkland Islands.